Signal lantern and means for adjusting same



Jan. 28, 1930. A. H. HANDLAN SIGNAL LANTERN AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAME Filed March 51, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l hws/vra? AH. HA/vm /w' 4511/ BY A rramvzys Jan. 28, 1930. A, H, HANDLAN 1,744,963

SIGNAL LANTERN AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING sum Filed March 31, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A rmP/yfvs Patentecl Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES ALEXANDER H. HANDIJAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI SIGNAL LANTERN AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAME Application filed March 31, 1924. Serial No. 703,277.

7 vided with means for adjusting said lantern so that therays of light which are projected therefrom will be directecl toward a predetermined point on the railroad track. It is essential in the operation of a railroad train 10 that the engineer of said train be able to see the various signal'lanterns which control the running of his train at times when said'train is still some distance from said signal lanterns. For this reason the various signal lanterns are adjusted so that rays of light are directed toward predetermined points on the railroad track so that the engineer may pick up the signals when his train reaches those points. The purpose of the present invention is to produce a signal lantern which is provided with simple and inexpensive means whereby said signal lantern may be readily and accurately adjusted so that the light therefrom is directed toward a predetermined point on the railroad track. l

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the inventioncomprehends changes, variationsand modifications which come within the scope of the claims. hereunto appended. I f

Fig. I isa view partly inside elevation and partly in vertical section showing a signal lantern provided with my improved adjusting mechanism.

Fig. II is a plan view of the signal lantern and adjusting mechanism illustrated in Fig. I, the element by which said signal lantern is supported being shown in cross section.

In the drawings, A designates a signal lantern of the type in general use in the oper ation of railroad trains, said signal lantern including a housing B, a lens C, and an electrically lighted bulb D within said housing adapted to produce light which is caused to be projected through said lens C. The

signal lantern illustrated in the drawings is provided with a hood E which permits said signal lantern to be used in daylight.

The signal lantern which is illustrated in the drawings, and briefly described above, is of the type now in general use on railroads and therefore it will not be described further, it

being understood that the adjusting mechanism which will now be described may be associated with various types of signal lanterns.

S designates an element by which-the signal lantern A is supported, said element being in the form of a vertical pole or standard. Surrounding the supporting element S is a U-shaped bolt 1,;and adjacent to the supporting element S is a head'2 which is provided with a pair of apertures 3 through which the end portions of the U-bolt extend. The head 2 is provided with an arcuate face 4, the curvature of which conforms with the curvature of theouter face of the supporting threaded end portions of the U-bolt l and bear firmly against the head 2, whereby said head and said U-bolt are forced tightly against the supporting element S. 6 desig- I nates a rod which extends outwardly from' the head 2, an end portion of said rod being extended into an aperture 7 formed in the head 2,1and said rod being secured in place within said aperture by means of a set screw T 8 which passes through a wall of said aperture 7 and bears firmly against the rod 6!. The rod 6 is shown in Fig. II as being secured to the head 2 by means of the set screw Sybut it is'apparent that said rod may be formed integral with said head. From the foregoing it is plain that the rod 6 may be clamped on the supporting element S in various positions and at various elevations.

Arranged immediately above the housing B of the signal lantern A. is a disk 9, said disk, as shown in Fig. I, being preferably formed integral with said lantern housing. The disk '9 is provided with a pair of internally threaded apertures 10 and an upstanding lug 9 which are intended for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. Arranged above the disk 9 is a second disk 11, the lower face of said disk 11 and the upper face of the disk 9 being in contact with each other and the lug 9' of the disk 9 being extended into a recess 11 in said disk 11 (Fig. I). The disk 11 is provided with a pair of arcuate slots 12, the apertures 10 in the disk 9 being in vertical registration with said arcuate slots 12 (Fig. I). 13 designates a pair of bolts which pass through the arcuate slots 12 and screw into the internally threaded apertures 10 in the disk 9. The bolts 13 are each ;provided with an enlarged head, the lower face of which bears firmly against the top face of the disk 11 when said bolts have been screwed downwardly as far as they will go the lower face of the heads of said bolts will frictionally grip the top face of the disk 11 and pre vent relative movement between the disks 9 and 11. However, if it is desired to move the disks 9 and 11 relative to each other, it is only necessary to unscrew the bolts 13 so as to remove the heads thereof from the top face of the disk 11, when the disk 9 may be freely oscillated relative to the disk 11, the lug 9' acting as a pintle about which said disk 9 oscillates and preventing lateral movement of said disk 9. The disk 9 is preferably an integral part of the signal lantern housing, and it is therefore plain that when it is desired to swing the signal lantern in a horizontal plane, it is only necessary to unscrew the bolts 13 as described, swing the lantern housing until the rays of light therefrom are properly directed in a horizonal direction, and then retighten the bolts so that said lantern housing may not be accidentally moved.

The disk 11 is provided with an integral sleeve 14, which extends transversely of said disk 11, into which sleeve the outer endof the rod 6 projects. 15 designates a pair of bolts which extend through the wall of the sleeve 14 and bear firmly against the rod 6 to secure said rod and the disk 11 together. To move the lantern housing in a direction to cause the rays of light being projected therefrom to be raised or lowered, it is only necessary to unscrew the bolts 15. This will permit the sleeve 14 to move relative to the stationary rod 6, and because the disks 9 and 11 are fixed together it will permit the entire lantern housing to pivot about the rod 6.

From the foregoing it is plain that when the bolts 13 and 15 are unscrewed the rays of light being projected from the signal lantern may be moved horizontally or raised and lowered, whereby said rays of light may be accurately directed toward a predetermined point on the railroad track, and it is likewise apparent that after the lantern has been properly adjusted the bolts 13 and 15 may be retightened, thus preventing accidental movement of said lantern.

Located at the extreme upper end of the lantern housing is a tapering tube 16. The purpose of this tube is to permit an operator to accurately adjust the lantern, as by looking through the tube 16 and moving the lantern housing until his vision is in line with the point toward which the light is to be directed said operator may quickly and easily adjust said lantern.

So that a person standing immediately below the signal lantern illustrated in the drawings maybe able to know whether or not the electrically lighted bulb is lighted, I provide a side'opening 17 which is covered by a sheet of glass 18.

I claim:

1. An adjusting device for signal lanterns comprising, in combination, a signal lantern, a support, a bracket, means for adjustably securing said bracket to said support, a rod extending from said bracket, a disk, means for movably mounting said disk upon said rod, a bolt for locking said disk to said rod, a second disk carried by said signal lantern and adapted to cooperate with said first named disk, adjusting devices associated with both of said disks whereby said signal lantern may be adjusted into various horizoutal positions, and a screw connecting said disks together whereby said disks may be securely held together after adjustment has,

been made.

2. An adjusting device for signal lanterns comprising, in combination, a signal lantern, a support, a bracket, means for adjustably securing said bracket to said support, a rod extending from said bracket, a slotted disk secured to said signal lantern, means for adjustably mounting said slotted disk upon said rod, a plate attached to said signal lantern, means for adjustably securing said plate to said disk, and bolts passing through said plate and the slots in said disk, whereby said plate and disk are adjustably secured together to provide for adjustment of said signal lantern to various horizontal positions, and said plate and said disk being adapted to be locked together by means of said bolts after said adjustment has been obtained.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signature.

ALEXANDER H. HANDLAN. 

